Thetop10readsof2018

Most popular

James To: “We had ‘returned’ to possibly the most significant place in Aotearoa for Māori-Chinese relations.” (Photo: Supplied)

In 1902, the SS Ventnor, a ship carrying the remains of hundreds of Chinese gold miners, sank off the coast of Hokianga. In the years after, local communities gathered bones washed onto shore for safekeeping. James To reflects on the ways the historic event has connected Māori and Chinese.

Lynda Chanwai-Earle: “The Chinese name system differs from the Western one in that names start with the family name, followed by the given name.”

In the early days of Chinese immigration to New Zealand, confusion over the Chinese name system resulted in subsequent generations of Chinese-New Zealanders having the “wrong” family names. Lynda Chanwai-Earle shares the story of her Chinese surname.

Like many migrants, Mutsumi Kanazawa experienced a profound sense of disconnect when she moved to New Zealand. Her feelings of isolation sparked her interest in researching the little-known stories of Japanese war brides who moved to Aotearoa in the 1950s and 1960s – a project she hopes will move descendants into learning more about their families’ pasts.

Alexander Bennett: “When I started, it was seven days a week and pretty rigorous. The sensei was a hard man. I didn’t like it at all.” (Photo: Supplied)

Alexander Bennett is one of the world’s foremost experts on Japanese martial arts. In an interview with the Asia Media Centre, he shares about his passion for kendo, his unique Kiwi-Japanese journey, and what continues to drive him.

Gao Hongzhi: “Guanxi starts with people making friends, even though there may be no instrumental benefits in it.” (Photo: 123RF)

The Chinese cultural values of guānxi (关系), miànzi (面子) and rénqíng (人情) are essential when doing business in China, but may be challenging concepts to grasp for those in the English-speaking world. Gao Hongzhi, a researcher of the role of guānxi in Chinese-Western business relationships, explains the three principles.

Sandeep Singh: “News is produced and disseminated from a self-visualisation of New Zealand as a European nation.”

The increasing need for New Zealanders to understand Asia-related issues presents an opportunity for mainstream and ethnic-minority media to collaborate on Asia coverage, writes Indian Weekender editor Sandeep Singh.

Sharyn Davies: “Many of Indonesia’s minority groups are right now being targeted by violent conservatives and the law is failing to protect them.”

For two decades now, Indonesia has been held up as the shining example that Islam is compatible with democracy. But recent developments may impact on the nation’s commitment to unity in diversity, writes Sharyn Davies.

Pip McLachlan: “Nature abhors a vacuum and we need to avoid a polarised discussion.”

If we don’t have robust conversations about China in New Zealand, we risk sleep-walking into a relationship with a nation we don’t fully understand or ruining one of our most important international relationships, writes Pip McLachlan.